


Leap of Faith

by Pixie_Queen24 (FallenAngel69)



Series: Domestic Cookleta [17]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAngel69/pseuds/Pixie_Queen24
Summary: Companion Ficlet for Only God Knows Why/Walking Through the Valley





	Leap of Faith

**_*If you’ll trust in me, like I trust in you, there’s no rain or fire that we can’t go through.*_ **

It wasn’t quite seven o’clock in the morning when the phone began ringing. “Sweetheart, can you get that?” David yelled from the kitchen where he was trying to get breakfast. He assumed it was probably his other half calling to check in from the road. Archie sometimes did that early in the morning, knowing that everyone would be up and the kids would be getting ready for school.

A few moments later, he looked up when he heard his daughter join him. “Uh, Dad? It’s Kate.”

“Oh…” He furrowed his brow, wondering why his manager would be calling so early. “Ok. Can you take care of this for a few?”

Addison nodded her head and traded her dad the phone for the spatula that he’d been using to flip pancakes.

“Thanks, Princess. Hello?” David put the phone up to his hear and his eyes immediately grew wide as Kate began rattling on about how she needed to meet with him over a very important matter. “Kate, Archie is on tour right now and I don’t have time to fly to LA… What do you mean you’re on your way?” David frowned, realizing that it must be pretty urgent if Kate was flying to Missouri to visit him at home. “Look, I have to get the kids to school. If you get here before I get back, just let yourself in. You still have the key, right?”

A few minutes later, when he returned to the kitchen, Addison moved out of the way and gave the spatula back to him. “What was that about?”

“Oh, nothing really. Kate just needs to meet with me, so she’s gonna visit.”

“She sounded freaked out.”

“Well you know Kate. She gets worked up over small things.” He winked at his daughter and went about flipping another pancake. “Go make sure your brother is up. We’ll have to hurry through breakfast so I can get you to school and get back before Kate gets here.”

Later, after the three of them had ate, David grabbed his keys and followed both children out the front door.

“Dad!” Addison exclaimed as she hopped off the porch and turned to face her Dad who was coming down the steps after locking the door.

“What?”

“You know, you could save time by letting me take my car. I’ll drop Jake off and everything.”

“Nice try, Princess. You know the deal.”

“I know. I’m allowed to drive three times a week. Today could be one of those three.”

David raised a brow at his daughter. “And what about tomorrow when you have band practice? Or Thursday when you have to stay after school to work on the newspaper? I guess I could take you to the ball game on Friday night.”

“Ugh, do you forget anything?”

“Not when my daughter is trying to con me,” David replied with a smirk. “Get in the car.”

“Hey, Dad,” Jacob said once they were in the car. “Can we eat at Pizza Hut tonight?”

Glancing in the rearview mirror as he put on his seatbelt, David nodded. “I guess. Saves me from having to find something to cook.”

Addison turned in her seat to grin at her brother who was getting settled in the back seat. “Is Bailey going to be there tonight?”

Jacob scowled. “No!”

“Who’s Bailey?” David asked while starting the car and reminding Addison to put on her own seatbelt. “And why would she being hanging out at Pizza Hut?”

“She’s no one,” Jacob insisted. “I just want pizza.”

Addison stuck her tongue out at Jacob and then smiled up at her dad who was glaring at her with disapproval. “Bailey is a in my class. Jake’s teacher is her mom. You know her, I’m sure. Anyway, she’s working there and Jake has a crush.”

“Addison!” They heard from the back seat.

“Stop picking on your brother,” David warned, although he was fighting a smile as he put on his sunglasses. He glanced at Jacob as he backed out of the driveway. “So, Jake, into the older ladies, huh?”

“Oh my gosh!” Jacob growled in exasperation. “I should have took the bus this morning.”

David only chuckled and turned his attention back to driving.

~*~*~*~*~*~

David stared at his manager, unable to believe what she’d just spent almost an hour discussing with him. “I… I have to call Archie.”

“David, I think it would be best to wait. There are certain measures that need to be taken. Wouldn’t you agree that there’s no point in dragging hubby into it until we know for sure?”

“I don’t want him to hear this from anyone other than me. You know how it is on tour. Someone is bound to let it slip… or worse, the paparazzi could get wind of it and bombard him with questions. I don’t want him to be blindsided by it.”

“Everyone involved has been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement until we know more information.”

“Oh. Ok. Thank you.” That tiny bit of information made David feel marginally better. “Is there anything else that I need to do right now?”

“No. I think we’re good for the time being. Just be in L.A. by Friday and I’ll be able to tell you more. We’ll also schedule a time for the procedure and then depending on how that goes, I guess we’ll schedule a meeting.”

“Ok,” David agreed as he took the airline tickets that Kate was handing him along with hotel information. “Actually, could you get in contact with Archie’s team and tell them that I’ll be spending the night with him at the hotel in Anaheim Friday night?”

“Archie’s going to be in California this weekend? Of course, I’ll set it up. Do you want to surprise him?”

“Oh, I’m sure I’m going to surprise him, alright,” he mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Uh, yeah. Surprise him.”

“Ok. I’ll take care of everything and get back to you with hotel information and such. Right now, I’m going to go check in to my own hotel room and sleep. I was not ready to board that plane this morning. I was up almost all night trying to get everything under control. I am whipped.”

“You should have just called me, Kate,” David told her.

“I would have, but I didn’t think this was a matter that should be discussed over the phone.”

“Either way, thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

She smiled as she stood to gather her things. “Remember that when all of this is over and I ask for a raise.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Archie flipped through the room service menu while debating whether it was too late to call home. The kids were probably sleeping by then, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to check in. He was just about to reach for the phone when there was a knock on his door. Furrowing his brow, he tossed the menu to the side and got up.

“Oh my gosh!” He exclaimed as he opened the door after looking through the peephole and discovering that his husband was on the other side. “What are you doing here?” He’d known that David was in nearby, Los Angeles, but he hadn’t expected him to show up in Anaheim.

“Well hello to you too, babe,” David said with a smirk as he pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning on. He set a couple of bags along with his duffle on a nearby chair before turning back to Archie. “I brought take out.”

Archie grinned, shoving the door shut as David stepped closer and snaked his arms around his waist. “I hope it’s Thai.”

“Would I bring you anything else?” David asked before ducking his head to properly greet Archie with a long, thorough kiss. “Miss you,” he whined, leaving his forehead pressed against Archie’s as their kiss ended.

“Aw, I miss you too,” Archie replied. “But it’s only a few more days.”

“Good. The kids want you home as much as I do.”

“I was just going to call them.”

“I talked to Bree about an hour ago. They’re fine. In fact, they were getting ready for bed.”

Archie finally stepped away from his husbands embrace and directed the older man towards the small table by the window. “How was your meeting this afternoon?”

David sighed heavily and sunk into a chair while Archie retrieved the bags of take-out he’d left by the door. He didn’t even know where to begin. “Uh, about that. I have something important to tell you.”

Archie slowly sat down in the chair across from David as he placed the food on the table and automatically went about unpacking it. He had definitely noticed the serious and somewhat dreadful look on David’s face, so he knew that whatever it was that David had to tell him was major. “Ok. What is it?”

“It may upset you,” David began, immediately hating that he’d said that first because the look on Archie face was almost panicked. “I wanted to tell you in person instead of letting you find out from someone else.”

“Cook,” Archie said timidly as he laid the plastic silverware on the table. “You’re really starting to scare me.”

“I’m sorry. I just… I’m not sure how to start.”

A nervous feeling bubbled up in the pit of Archie’s stomach as he imagined all the horrible things his husband could have to tell him. Suddenly, he wasn’t very hungry. “Just tell me. I’m sure it can’t be all that bad, whatever it is.”

“Before I say it, I need you to understand that I love you and I might need you more than ever in the next few months.”

“Cook, you know I’m always here for you. Nothing can change that.”

“Ok,” David said, feeling somewhat encouraged by the knowledge that Archie was probably going to remain open-minded.  “I also need to stress that what I’m about to tell you happened years ago, and it was _not_ while we were together.”

“Ok,” Archie said. It was so unlike David to beat around the bush with anything. “What happened?”

“Earlier this week Kate showed up in Blue Springs with the news that a guy from South Carolina had contacted her, claiming to that he was a lawyer representing an ex-girlfriend and mother of my child.”

“But she’s…” Archie’s brow furrowed, but then it dawned on him. “Oh… Someone is claiming that you’re the father of their child?”

“Essentially. But it’s… well, it’s not as outlandish as it sounds.” David cringed as Archie’s face fell in devastation. “Archie, it was during my first tour. You know how I got back then. There were times when… Well, I got lonely.” David looked away, unable to shake the overwhelming feeling of guilt—even though he knew he really had no reason to feel guilty. He and Archie weren’t even seeing each other at that time.

“So um, you could have a kid that you didn’t know about?” Archie asked. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Part of him felt betrayed although he knew it wasn’t really a betrayal considering it was before he and David officially got together. The other part of him just felt confused.

“It was right after Kim and I broke up,” David offered, hoping it might help. “She was a one-night-stand after a show in Columbia. I barely remembered her.”

Archie took a deep breath to help him control his emotions. There was a really good reason that he’d never asked David about his sex-life prior to him. The mere thought of David being intimate with anyone else made his stomach ache and he became green with jealousy. Of course, Cassie seemed to be the exception, but only because she was before he and David even met; before he had the chance to fall hopelessly in love with the older man.

“Archie, I promise, it meant nothing.”

Archie nodded, refusing to let it bother him as much as it should. “But that was what? Fourteen years ago? Why now?”

“Because the mother passed away last week.”

Archie swallowed. “Oh. That’s terrible. What happened?”

“Apparently, she had a problem with substance abuse. Kate said that with the exception of her lawyer, no one knew who the child’s father was until her will was read. Although her own parents are more than able to take care of her, she left her thirteen year old daughter to me; the father.”

“Oh my gosh,” Archie said. “But what if… I mean, how do we know she’s yours?”

“Well, that was part of the reason that I was in L.A. today. I had to have a paternity test. She’s definitely mine.”

When Archie didn’t comment, David gave him the time he needed to process the news. It wasn’t like they dealt with or expected something like that every day.

“Have you met her? Your daughter, I mean?”

“Not yet. CPS has set up a meeting in the morning at ten. I was uh, I was hoping you would go with me,” David explained with a hopeful look.

“Really?” Archie asked in surprise. “Um, are you sure?”

“What do you mean, am I sure? I don’t think I can do it alone. I mean, what in the hell do you say to a child you didn’t even know you had? Especially one who has just lost her mother and is suddenly being uprooted and handed over to the father she’s never met.

“I can’t imagine what she must be going through,” Archie stated solemnly.

“So you’ll go with me?”

Archie reached across the table and took David’s hand into his, squeezing gently. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” David said, relaxing a little bit. “Not only for agreeing to go with me, but also for being understanding. I mean, I wasn’t sure how you would react to the news. I’m not even sure how I would react if I were in your place.”

“It’s a lot to take in,” Archie admitted. “Believe me, that was the last thing that I expected to hear from you tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Archie. Really, I am.”

“It’s not like you cheated on me, so I’m not upset with you,” Archie assured him. “I’m just surprised, and a little concerned that you were obviously careless about protection at the time.”

David could have argued and said that he’d been careful—accidents do happen, after all, but he didn’t want to lie. The truth was, he had been careless. Back then, safety wasn’t exactly his top priority. “I know. It was stupid,” he said, feeling yet another pang of guilt.

Archie sighed and let go of David’s hand in favor of opening a couple of food containers. There was no sense in letting it go to waste. “We’ve been through worse.”

“We have.” David nodded in agreement.

“We’ll handle this just like we have everything else,” Archie said before looking up to meet David’s gaze. “As a family.”

“Would you be ok with it if I invited her to live with us? I mean, I haven’t met her yet and I’m not sure she’ll even want to or how she’ll adjust, I just…”

“I assumed that was already the plan,” Archie interrupted.

“Kate said there are a few options, but I didn’t make any decisions. I thought I should talk to you first.”

“She’s a child, Cook. Your child. It’s unfortunate and wrong that her mother didn’t tell you about her, but she’s innocent in all of this. You can’t just let her disappear into the system. We have to take her.”

David smiled and reached for a fork. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”

Archie nodded while taking a bite of his Pad Thai. Then he shrugged and waved his fork about while he chewed. “I feel kinda weird calling her the child. What’s her name?”

“Victoria,” David said with a smile. For the first time all week, he was beginning to feel a little bit of excitement building.

“Victoria,” Archie said it slowly. “I wonder if she likes to be called Tori.”

David chuckled. “I don’t know. I guess we could ask her tomorrow.”

As they ate their meals, they continued to talk about the entire situation and David filled Archie in on everything that he knew about the girl and her family. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had at the time. Then later, they cleaned up their trash and decided to go to bed since they’d have to get up and travel to L.A. in the morning.

“You’re kind of tense,” Archie said as he sat on his knees behind David who had sat down on the edge of the bed.

“It’s been a stressful week,” David said, rolling his neck as Archie’s fingers worked on his shoulders.

“So, how do you think Addie and Jake will react?” Archie asked.

“I hope they’ll take it well,” David replied, pondering his husband’s question. “To be honest, I was so worried about telling you that I never really thought about how the kids are going to be affected.”

“I think Jacob will be fine with it,” Archie informed. “He’s pretty laid back.”

“Like his father,” David cracked. “And Addie?”

“Hmm,” Archie sighed. “I don’t know. She really is a Daddy’s girl.”

“Yeah, like I’m the only one who spoils her… Um, what are you doing?” David asked as he felt Archie’s lips against his neck, kissing at the spot just below his ear.

“Nothing,” Archie replied, his lips curving into a smile against David’s skin.

“I think you’re trying to distract me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar.”

“It’s been a very long three weeks,” Archie murmured against David ear.

David grinned. “And here we are alone in a hotel room…”

“Should we take advantage of that?”

“I don’t know,” David replied as he turned around to face Archie. “I’d much rather take advantage of you.”

Archie yelped in delight as David grabbed him by the waist. “I love you,” he whispered as David lowered him to the mattress.

“I love you, too,” David told him as he allowed his body to rest fully on top of Archie’s.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“You ok?” Archie asked the next morning when he came out of the bathroom to find David standing by the window staring down into the streets below.

“Just thinking,” David replied.

Archie took a second to throw the towel he’d been using to dry his hair back into the bathroom. Then he went to where David stood. “Nervous?” Archie asked, slipping his arms around David’s waist as the older man turned around.

“What if… Well, I’ve been thinking about the fact that she might not be used to same-sex relationships. I don’t even know what her mom told her about me—if she told her anything at all.”

“Babe,” Archie began in a gentle, loving tone. “Do you honestly think that her mother would have wanted you to raise her if she had a problem with your lifestyle?”

“What if by some odd chance she didn’t know?”

“Oh my gosh!” Archie couldn’t help a small laugh at his husband’s expense. “Will you stop? You’re going to freak yourself out with all the ‘what ifs’!”

“I can’t help it. I never even thought of that until this morning while I was in the shower.”

“Which is exactly why you should have woke me up. We could have conserved water and distracted that over-active brain of yours at the same time.”

David blinked. “Oh my God. When did you become so naughty?”

“Um, I’ve lived with an insatiable rock star for thirteen years. I guess it rubs off.” He smiled innocently up at David. “Seriously, babe, stop worrying. We’ll take whatever happens in stride. It will be fine.”

“Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”

Archie smiled and reached up to adjust David’s tie. “Probably, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”

“You’re incredible.”

“I know. Now come on. Let’s go meet _our_ new daughter.”

**Author's Note:**

> Although this is an old fic, comments are still welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated! :)


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